Clevercell Very disappointing...

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

chaos-rampant A kind of glum historic film that is possible when you don't feel historically very proud of the world you accomplished, the Second Republic specifically stressed to provide a continuity that connects to the present, centered around a woman who tries to move that world to be a better man, who knows there is capacity for change, even if all the evidence is to the contrary. She divides affections between two men, being foremostly loyal however to the one we wouldn't expect. It's a credit to the film that it doesn't devolve to the illicitness that we may predict early on. Something else is at stake here, a kind of committed love that goes beyond pleasure.Both these men are resigned to the fates, in contrast to her, and will assist her only so long as the game is still dangerous, thus worth playing and having a stake on, accepting in the end however the final turn of the cards with a stoic bravery that is deeply masculine; the conviction to a supreme order of things, a universe that is inexorably moved from without.Everyone else is really small by comparison, petty governors or rowdy villagers, these three are the grand figures that will echo with some human tragedy. A man is sentenced to die, we know this early on. Until bloody justice arrives from Paris, he gets to cultivate beauty, to lift burdens. The other, the husband, resolves in the meantime to humiliate the cowardly arrogance of powers that be.The woman is the most precious here, the most spirited but vulnerable, played by Juliette Binoche with tremendous ease. She will have to handle loss, we can tell this much early on.

Claudio Carvalho In 1849, in the Archipelago of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the drunken Ariel Neel Auguste (Emir Kusturica) and his partner Louis Ollivier (Reynald Bouchard) kill for a futile motive (to see if he is fat or just big) the fishing boat captain Coupard (Michel Daigle). Nell, who stabbed the victim, is sentenced to die with his head severed in the guillotine while Louis is sentenced to hard labor. During the transportation to the prison under the custody of Captain Jean (Daniel Auteuil), there is an accident and Louis dies. While spending his days in the cell waiting for the guillotine and the executioner, Neel is invited by the captain's wife Mrs. Pauline (Juliette Binoche) to help her in her garden and becomes her protégé. Later he has a process of rehabilitation helping the locals in minor works and becomes very popular in the island. When he saves the building Café du Nord and her owner from sinking in the sea, his popularity increases and nobody but the governor and politicians of the council wants his death. Neel marries Eleontine Jeanne-Marie, but sooner he is informed that the ship Marie Galante has just left Martinique bringing a guillotine. Now the Governor and politicians need to find an executioner in the population to execute the sentence."La Veuve de Saint-Pierre" is a beautiful dramatization of a story of rehabilitation and intolerance. I do not know whether this event is partially true or not – there are references in Internet to this story but in sites that I can not trust – but this movie is wonderful. The story and screenplay are engaging and very well written with powerful lines; the direction of Patrice Leconte and the performances are top- notch, with Juliette Binoche extremely beautiful and elegant as usual and showing a magnificent chemistry with Daniel Auteuil; the cinematography and costumes are wonderful. Based on my adjectives, it is unnecessary to say that I loved this movie. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "A Viúva de Saint-Pierre" ("The Widow of Saint-Pierre")

lastliberal She won an Oscar for The English Patient, and was nominated for Chocolat, but until you see this film, you have no concept of the incredible range of Juliette Binoche.The conviction, and pending execution of Neel Auguste (Emir Kusturica) for murder is but a subplot. This is really a love story between The Captain (Daniel Auteuil) and his wife (Juliette Binoche).You see it in their joking with each other, their affection, their passion, and the way he concedes to her requests ("What my husband wants is up to me!").She wants Auguste to help her in her garden, and assist in the community while he awaits execution, which cannot proceed until a guillotine arrives from France to the island.He becomes a hero to the townspeople, and is even planning to marry after getting a local girl (Catherine Lascault) pregnant. The town council is alarmed at his growing popularity and fear that he will be too loved to execute ("One man gets accused, and another gets punished."). The Captain continues to stand by his wife and ignore the governing officials, as the prisoner is his responsibility.The council even had to intimidate an immigrant (Ghyslain Tremblay) into taking the job of executioner, as no one on the island would do it.They ended up sending The captain back to France to be court-martialed to get the execution to proceed.Patrice Leconte, who gave us My Best Friend, Girl on the Bridge, and The hairdresser's husband, among other fine film, hits another home run with this one.

Lee Eisenberg Focusing on murderer Neel Auguste's (Emir Kusturica) redemption while awaiting his execution, "La Veuve de Saint-Pierre" (called "The Widow of Saint-Pierre" in English) raises some good questions. The townspeople are forced to ask themselves whether or not it's a good idea to execute him now that he is making up for it. The movie never gets preachy, it sticks to asking the questions and shows that there's not necessarily a ready answer. Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil play Pauline (aka Madame La) and Jean (aka The Captain), respectively, overseeing Auguste's penance. All in all, this is a movie that everyone should see.